’Well may use 4-2-2-2 against Celts

Craig Goldthorp

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee is giving major consideration to once again employing revolutionary tactics for this Saturday’s home game against Celtic.

The Steelmen have suffered heavy 7-0 and 5-0 defeats to the champions in recent months, but a new formation worked better in ’Well’s last game against the Hoops, a 2-0 league defeat at Parkhead on October 15.

So the option is there for McGhee to go with the same again at Fir Park this weekend, with the hope that this time his forwards convert any chances afforded to them.

“We went to Parkhead with a very unusual formation,” McGhee said. “Four-two-two-two is not a formation that people will be familiar with or recognise.

“To a large extent it worked.

“We made it more difficult for them than the other times.

“We made some chances and had we taken them we might have merited a draw.

“We have to look again at that.

“We want to come up with a formation which gives us a chance of getting a win but let’s not kid ourselves on as Celtic are the top team at the moment.”

Another conundrum for McGhee is whether or not to start with Lionel Ainsworth in the team, with the winger often mixing brilliance with less effective play this term.

“Lionel is training hard, McGhee said. “He went on at Tynecastle last week and did OK.

“I feel that Lionel’s best deployment is up front. That is where he would be best served.

“But at the moment Scotty (McDonald) and Moulty (Louis Moult) are the players in possession.

“Unless we play three up front, there is not a place for Lionel in that area.

“It’s not decided if we’ll start Lionel on Saturday but maybe he can come on for the second half and we’ll have that up our sleeve.”

McGhee said midfielder Lee Lucas remained unfit but Richard Tait should recover from a dead leg to play.